Universal Power System

The remainder of the day was quite uneventful with Mako and his group taking the rest of the classes to finish their first day in military school.

The first class they attended was the Health & Safety class which was actually taught by a familiar face, Commander Malik; the superior doctor within the military base and also a member of the board of commanders.

It was quite surprising to see a military commander teaching at a military school full of cadets, but his introduction quickly satisfied Mako's curiosity as he introduced himself as a retired commander, who was now pursuing his passion for further researching medicine and teaching the future generation.

Both things that Mako personally knew just how much Commander Malik was passionate about.

********************

Commander Malik was the person who intervened and saved Iris' life during the recruitment test when she tapped into an unknown power to revive Bill from certain death at the cost of her own life force.

He had performed several complex and advanced procedures to stabilize Iris' condition which he later explained briefly to the group during one of their meetings while they were training in the military base.

Commander Malik had a thick Indian accent and a very strong physique that didn't portray him as a medical personnel at all, but rather a battlefield soldier.

However, despite appearing so strong and scary from the outside, Commander Malik was actually quite kind-hearted and loving towards Mako and his friends. He even gave Iris a few training sessions to improve and refine her healing ability during their training in the military base and he seemed to have become quite fond of her.

So it was no surprise that Commander Malik appeared to be grieving during Iris' funeral. To him, it was like losing a star pupil without ever seeing her reach her full potential and it was quite heartbreaking for him to see such an incredible talent being gone.

********************

During the class, the commander didn't show any reaction or favor towards Mako and his friends despite recognizing them immediately.

Mako understood that it was only fair that the teachers didn't show any kind of favor to any students which would lead to distrust and biased feelings among the other students.

The lecture was actually quite informative as Commander Malik started off by explaining the fundamentals of Mana and how people utilize it within their bodies to output their abilities.

"Alright cadets, let's delve into the basics of Mana," Commander Malik began, pacing in front of the assembled group. "Mana is the energy that flows through the fabric of space, residing within each and everything that physically exists in this universe, like a hidden reservoir of power."

A cadet raised a hand, and Commander Malik nodded for them to speak.

"Sir, what exactly is mana?" the cadet asked.

"You can interpret mana as the coding language of the universe. Just like humans in the late 20th century created computers using programming languages that operated based on passing electric currents to convey information, mana provides matter with information of how to behave and react with one another."

"It is this mana that fuels our abilities and skills,?It's the energy that enables you to manipulate the elements, to perform feats beyond the ordinary. But be warned, harnessing mana isn't without its risks."

Another cadet spoke up, a hint of concern in their voice. "What kind of risks, sir?"

"Excessive use of mana can strain the body and mind," Commander Malik explained. "It's like overexerting a muscle; push too hard, and you risk injury. Drain your mana reserves too quickly, and you could find yourself weakened, even incapacitated. And in extreme cases, misuse of mana can lead to irreversible damage."

The whole class became silent including the overconfident boastful ones as they all remembered the battle that took place this morning against their Power Weapons teacher and one of their own classmates.

They had witnessed firsthand, how much damage the misuse of mana could do to the human body.

Mako himself had a fair share of similar experiences during his journey and he couldn't agree more with the Commander's statements. He had always viewed Mana as nothing more than just an energy source for his abilities, but from the commander's explanation, it became quite clear to him that he was heavily mistaken and that he still had a lot to learn and uncover about its secret to fully grasp its idea and potential.

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing. "But used wisely, mana can unlock incredible potential. It's a double-edged sword, cadets. Respect it, harness it, and it will serve you well. Abuse it, and you may find yourself paying a steep price."

The lecture continued with the commander explaining many different things related to mana, but these were all things that Mako already knew so it wasn't as informative.

Mako's mind kept drifting back toward the small device that was currently stored inside his inventory, with a secret that Commander Sable didn't trust anybody else with but him.

The fact that Erin mentioned there being an imposter, a hundred different scenarios were running through Mako's head as to what might be the contents within this device, but he wouldn't know for sure until he looked at it for himself.

****************

The group couldn't get the chance to catch up with Commander Malik after the lecture as he had to leave for something important, but they knew that they would catch up eventually.

The remaining two classes were nothing major with theHistory class being taught by Dr. Eleanor Thompson, an aged woman of regal bearing and scholarly grace.

Her long silver hair was pulled back in a tight bun with a couple of loose strands. Her oldened eyes with deep dark circles beneath them and her aged skin full of wrinkles gave her an air of authority that matched her extensive knowledge of the past.

She spoke with a gentle yet firm tone, explaining briefly to the cadets the many tales of ancient civilizations and forgotten heroes that she was going to tell from her vast encyclopedia of knowledge about history.

She wore a similar teacher's robe; however, this one was adorned with many symbols of civilizations, cultures, and bygone eras as she seemed to embody the very essence of history itself.

Meanwhile, in Universal Affairs, Professor Samuel Rodriguez led the class in a unique manner that no one anticipated. The class was held, not within any ordinary classroom, but rather in a real-life spaceship that was parked outside the main building.

The cadets were already amazed by witnessing the inside of a real spacecraft on their very first day, but they didn't expect a tiny human awaiting their arrival in the cockpit.

The man was barely 3 feet tall and appeared quite young to the point that most of the students mistook him for a child.

However, they were in for a shock when this child with an innocent face shouted out loud toward the cadets in the most deep, scary, and masculine voice you could think of.

The child introduced himself as Professor Samuel Rodriguez and explained that this was the very ship he was in command of during his expeditions to other solar systems.

He showed various simulations of his adventures in space, visiting many different planets in search of more intelligent life or precious resources.

"If you ever wish to be recruited into the space division, you're going to have to have extensive knowledge of everything that has happened in space, so pay attention in my class!" Prof. Samuel shouted as he addressed all the cadets.

Mako was really enjoying himself while watching all the different simulations of Prof. Samuel and his crew. He was always fond of learning more and discovering new things and now that he could see how vast the galaxy actually was.

Prof. Samuel's lecture was short but informative. As Professor Samuel Rodriguez concluded his lecture, the cadets were left in awe of the vastness of space and the adventures that potentially awaited them. Despite his unexpected appearance, they recognized the depth of his knowledge and the importance of his teachings.

As they filed out of the spaceship classroom, Mako couldn't contain his excitement. He knew that this was just the beginning of his journey into the unknown, fueled by his curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.

As they returned to the main building, the cadets exchanged excited whispers, buzzing with anticipation for what the future held.

Despite having such a tough start to their day it ended on a high note as they were excited to learn and grow to become strong and prove themselves to be the best.

There was some time before dinner and the cadets were free to roam around and explore. Many of them formed groups and began exploring several parts of the military school.

However, Mako quickly booked it to his room; his curiosity not being able to hold back anymore.

He listened to Erin's advice and used Analyze to scan the room for any potential hidden device that could be used to spy on him, but he didn't find anything.

After he was certain that he was in the clear, Mako pulled out the small device from his inventory and placed it on his bed before activating it.

*Ding!*

Immediately, the hologram of Commander Sable appeared in front of Mako. The commander was sitting behind his desk with a face full of concern.

"Mako... I'm sorry to throw this on you from out of the blue, but I have another mission for you and your team." The commander stated.